Galindez and Badman Win 1995 ITU Duathlon World Championships The lush tropical setting of Cancun on the Yucatan peninsula proved a dramatic backdrop for Argentina's Oscar Galindez and Switzerland's Natasha Badman to take convincing victories at the 1995 ITU Duathlon World Championships. With more than 1,000 competitors representing over 30 countries, the event was clearly the best ever ITU Duathlon World Championship.
In the men's race, Mexico's Mario Salazar set a blistering pace on the opening 10 kilometer run. Pre-race favorite and defending ITU Triathlon World Champion Spencer Smith made up time quickly on the 40 kilometer bicyle, but fell prey to the man of the hour, Oscar Galindez. Smith failed to finish the race after falling behind Galindez, who took control in the latter half of the cycle and dominated during the final 5 kilometer run.
Switzerland's Urs Dellsperger, the 1995 European Duathlon Champion finished second in Cancun, a repeat of his 1994 performance in Hobart, Australia. The bronze medal went to Germany's Norman Stadler, the 1994 ITU Duathlon World Champion. Dellsperger went with the early leaders on the first run and bike, but was unable to stay with Galindez pulling away at the front. Stadler had a superb bicycle leg, moving though the field after finishing over a minute behind the leaders on the first 10 kilometer run.
Switzerland's Natasha Badman, who finished second in 1994, proved convincingly that she is number one in 1995, completing the 10k - 40k - 5k course nearly 90 seconds in front of her Swiss teamate Sybille Blersch, the early race leaders. Following Blersch by 19 seconds was the 1994 ITU Duathlon World Champion Irma Heeren from the Netherlands.
Among the top ten women, eight countries were represented. Nine countries placed duathletes in the top ten men. The warm tropical breeze blew from the Caribbean at a constant 20 k and the sun was out the entire hot and humid day, a dramatic contrast from the 1994 event in Hobart, Australia where it was cold and rainy.
The event included a Junior World Championship, won by Denmark's Marie Overbye and Portugal's Ricardo Costa. The Juniors raced over the same course as the elites and the results showed the same diversity of talent.
Among the Junior Women, seven countries were represented. Eight countries placed duathletes in the top ten Junior Men.
Results - Women Natascha Badman SUI 28 1:56.30 Sybille Blersch SUI 26 1:57.57 Irma Heeren NED 28 1:58.16 Lucy Smith CAN 28 1:58.29 Debbie Nelson NZL 29 1:59.55 Fiona Lothian GBR 29 2:00.56 Dolorita Gerber SUI 27 2:01.26 Annie Emmerson GBR 25 2:03.31 Cecile Odin FRA 30 2:03.45 Jane Despas AUS 30 2:04.14 Results - Men Oscar Galindez ARG 24 1:43.19 Urs Dellsperger SUI 32 1:43.38 Norman Stadler GER 22 1:44.23 Jan Van Der Marel NED 27 1:45.06 Ladislav Raim TCH 31 1:45.45 Huub Maas NED 24 1:45.52 Greg Watson USA 29 1:46.00 Mark Bates CAN 27 1:46.07 Norbert Domnik AUT 31 1:46.13 Maurizio Medri ITA 35 1:46.49 Results - Junior Women Marie Overbye DNK 19 2:00.12 Erika Molnar HUN 19 2:00.32 Anke Erlank RSA 18 2:02.26 Renata Berkova TCH 19 2:02.39 Luma Muhtadie CAN 19 2:06.05 Kristine Chambers CAN 17 2:06.40 Blaire Nkiaziew CAN 18 2:10.14 Silvia Pepels NED 20 2:10.27 Katy Oxborrow GBR 20 2:12.06 Sonia Sullivian CAN 19 2:18.39 Results - Junior Men Ricardo Costa POR 19 1:50.43 David Castro ESP 19 1:51.52 Fernando Gomez ESP 19 1:52.39 Filip Ospaly TCH 19 1:53.11 Erick Salas MEX 20 1:54.18 Shany Saez FRA 20 1:54.29 Rob Joy GBR 18 1:54.52 Brian Mills RSA 20 1:54.55 Javier Garcia ESP 19 1:55.40 Roland Stoll SUI 18 1:56.01